Flood-eeitce



H. REICHERT.

Flood Fence.

Patented Feb. 27, 1849.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

HENRY REIOHERT, OF SI-IIPPENSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

FLOOD-FENCE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 6,138, dated. February 27, 1849.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY Rnionnirr, of Shippensburg, in the county of Cumberland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement on Millers Flood-Fence, called The F alling-Post and Self-Securing Panel-Fence, which is described as follows, reference being had to the annexed drawings of the same, making part of this specification.

Figure 1, is a PGISPGCtlX'G View of two posts, and a panel thrown down. Fig. 2, is a perspective view of ditto raised to its vertical position, and secured. Fig. 3, is a cross section. Fig. 4 is a view of one of the fixed posts. Fig. 5 is a view of one of the notched levers and floats. Fig. 6 is a view of one of the falling posts detached, being made of a single piece of wood.

Similar letters in the figures refer to corresponding parts.

Make the posts A of locust, cedar, or other durable wood, about three feet long, and about six inches thick, and plant them in the ground two feet deep and ten or twelve feet apart. Bore a hole a Fig. 4 about two and a half inches diameter horizontally through each post, in the direction of the panel, about two and a half inches from the top, to receive the round tenon of the rail E. Bore an inch hole through the post at right angles to the one above mentioned, about an inch and a half from the top to receive a pin 2) or rod by which a forked post B is hinged to the stationary post. Insert pins *5 horizontally into the post near the lower end thereof, about one foot long, for the purpose of planting it more firmly in soft ground; or cross bars; notched into the sides of the post at right angles will answer the same purpose. Make a movable forked post B, for each stationary post about two or three feet long, bored through each prong, with an inch auger hole, through which the pin that passes through the stationary post is inserted-the prongs or arms of the movable post being made to embrace the head of the stationary post before the pin is inserted, on which the prongs are to turn in falling down. Taper ofi the upper end of this forked post where it is made to enter a mortise in the end of the upper rail. Make the lower end of one of the legs or prongs of the forked post square on one side and insert it into a square notch cut in the edge of the short end of a lever C, whose fulcrum f is a pin inserted horizontally into the stationary post. Insert a piece of cork c or buoyant substance into the long end of the lever G, to cause it to rise with greater force when the water or flood rises. Make the shoulder of the notch perpendicular and bring it in contact, or against the side of the forked post, so that as the long end of the lever is raised by the rising of the water, this shoulder will be made to bear against the foot of one of the prongs of the forked post and push it from the fulcrum of the lever o causing the forked post to turn on its center, and its upper or tapered end to leave the mortise (Z in the top rail D, of the panel, thus separating the one from the other, the up per end of the panel being made to turn down stream in the arc of a circle scribed from the center of the ournals of the lower rail E, on which the panel turns, while the forked post turns on its center in the direction of the running of the fence, and at right angles to the direction of the movement of the panel. 2 and 3.

Make a combined float and lever c for each forked post B, and arrange it in a similar manner at each end of the panel. The upper end of the forked post may be made to move toward or from the center of the panel. hen it moves toward the center of the panel as above described it passes along the mortise (Z of the rail and out of a side mortise e, that intersects it at right angles near the end thereof, at the same time leaving the mortise of the adjacent rail D Fig. 2. Make the upper or smaller end of the forked or hinged post sufficiently wide to enter the mortises in the ends of each pair of rails that come together so as to have sufficient hold on them to retain the panels firmly in a perpendicular position. Put a spring F, on each panel to hold it in a horizontal position when thrown down by the flood and prevent it from rising by the rising of the water, one end of said spring being fastened to the upper rail, and the other end being loose and bearing against the side of the fixed post A, when the panels is thrown down as shown in Fig. 1, or in order to accomplish the same object plant a notched spring in the ground, in such a position that the upper rail of the panel will be hooked to it in descending, and be prevented from rising until disengaged therefrom by bend- See dotted curve lines in Figs.

ing the said spring; or a spring G, may be attached to the panel, which, as the panel falls back will catch beneath an inclined tooth H of a post planted in the ground at a proper distance from the panel. The falling post B, may be attached to the panel by a short rope I or cord so that it shall be drawn over, and caused to fall by the falling of the panels. Make the panel with two parallel rails D, E, and slats K nailed to them at right angles,the lower rail having gudgeons, journals, or round tenons formed on its ends to be inserted into the holes in the fixed posts as aforesaid. Make longitudinal mortises d in the ends of the upper rails, and intersect them with transverse mortises 6, near the ends thereof. Brace the panel with a diagonal brace, if requisite, and feather-edge the vertical slats of the panel to prevent lodgements. Put a guard L in front of the float or lever when in a situation where it would be liable to be disturbed, or deranged, and prevented from performing its required oflice.

The notched end of the lever, and the front of the forked post that enters the notch, may be made of iron, if required, as represented, and the edge of the post next the end of the lever notched or sloped. The panel may be composed of horizontal rails connected to vertical end pieces, instead of vertical pales or slats fastened to the horizontal rails. The fork of the falling post may be formed by two parallel plates fastened to the lower end of the wood portion of the post. The fork may be also formed in the lower or thick end of the falling post when it is made entirely of wood of a single piece as represented in Fig. 6. The guards L may or may not be used as preferred. When the falling posts fall, they rest upon the floats, in the manner represented in Fig. 1

I do not claim to be the original inventor of a hinged falling panel for a flood fence but What I do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. The combination of the hinged falling posts, B, with buoyant notched levers C for letting down the panels by the rising of the water, acting on said buoyant levers, constructed, arranged, and operated substantially as above described, for the purpose set forth.

2. I also claim the combination of the spring F with the panel, for holding the panel, when thrown down by the flood, to prevent its being raised by the rising of the water as above described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name before two subscribing witnesses this twenty-ninth day of February 'HENRY REIOHER-T. Witnesses:

WM. P. ELLIOT,

LUND WASHINGTON, Sr. 

